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Red Sox History: Ranking every squad of the 21st century

By Daniel Fox

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 31: The Boston Red Sox 2018 World Series Championship banner hangs outside Fenway Park on October 31, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 31: The Boston Red Sox 2018 World Series Championship banner hangs outside Fenway Park on October 31, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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BRONX, NY – OCTOBER 8: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with teammate Manny Ramirez #24 after hitting a two-run home run in the top of the forth inning against the New York Yankees during game 1 of the American League Championship Series on October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
BRONX, NY – OCTOBER 8: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with teammate Manny Ramirez #24 after hitting a two-run home run in the top of the forth inning against the New York Yankees during game 1 of the American League Championship Series on October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

No. 5: 2003 Red Sox (95-67)

Overshadowed by the disastrous end to the season, the 2003 Red Sox had a case as the best offense of all time. They lead the majors in runs (961), batting average (.289), on-base percentage (.360), and set a major league record in slugging .491.

Bill Mueller won a batting title in the nine-hole, narrowly beating out teammate Manny Ramirez .326 to .325. Seven batters knocked in at least 85 runs, while six hit at least 25 home runs.

Wonderkid GM Theo Epstein built a lineup of on-base machines, as his offseason additions Kevin Millar (.343 OBP), Bill Mueller (.396), and David Ortiz (.369) all exceeded expectations.

The pitching staff, however, couldn’t pull its weight. Pedro was Pedro, but Derek Lowe (4.43) regressed, and the bullpen was a mess all season long. The Red Sox went into the season with a “closer by committee” approach, which proved disastrous as Brandon Lyon, Chad Fox, and Mike Timlin all disappointed when given save opportunities. The bullpen stabilized somewhat by October but never gained manager Grady Little’s trust. This proved costly when Little stuck with a clearly tiring Martinez in Game 7 of the ALCS and watched as the Yankees tied and eventually won the game.

Despite the devastating final chapter, this team was arguably the most entertaining team of the century and set the stage for the team that would finally break the curse.

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